President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has criticised the recently enacted tax law, describing it as regressive and burdensome to workers and low-income earners, while calling on the Federal Government to urgently review it.
Ajaero spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the unveiling of the memoir of a former NLC President, Hassan Summonu, held alongside the celebration of his 85th birthday.
He said Nigerian workers were deliberately excluded from the presidential tax reform process despite being the country’s major taxpayers.
According to him, the exclusion resulted in a law that deepens hardship for workers and the poor, noting that any tax regime that places additional burden on those earning the national minimum wage cannot be considered fair or progressive.
“The tax laws went through a process that clearly excluded Nigerian workers and the masses. From the onset, we warned that the outcome would be laws directed at making workers and the poor poorer, and today that fear has become reality,” Ajaero said.
He argued that taxing citizens who are already living in severe poverty amounts to a regressive policy and warned that continuing with the implementation of the law without addressing the concerns of key stakeholders could undermine public trust and democratic governance.
The NLC president urged the government to pause and rethink the policy, stressing that bypassing organised labour and other stakeholders weakens institutions and threatens national stability.
Ajaero also called for the immediate constitution of the board of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) and demanded more meaningful engagement between the government and labour unions on policies affecting workers.
He further reiterated the NLC’s demand for urgent attention to workers’ wages ahead of the next statutory negotiations on the national minimum wage, warning that failure to address rising economic hardship could worsen social tensions.
